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Blindness Organizations

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USA      International

Organizations in the USA

Council for Schools for the Blind
Membership List

• Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind
  Established in 1858, AIDB operates four accredited instructional programs and an award winning manufacturing complex in Talladega, Alabama and a statewide network of regional centers.
• American Council of the Blind general information including recent issues of The Braille Forum (Washington, DC). Go here for a list of ACB Affiliated Organizations - ACB Radio 
• American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), a U.S. nonprofit organization enabling blind or visually impaired people to achieve equality and access. Provides information and referrals about living with visual impairment. Helen Keller devoted over 40 years of her life to AFB.
• American Printing House For The Blind, Inc. APH promotes the independence of blind and visually impaired persons by providing special media, tools, and materials needed for education and life.
• Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind in Tucson are a state public corporation providing a variety of programs and services to serve and support educational opportunities for sensory impaired children in Arizona.
• Associated Services for the Blind & Visually Impaired is located in historic Center City, Philadelphia. Our many divisions serve the local Philadelphia and Delaware Valley areas and beyond.
• Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI)–
  Goodwill Industries of Greater Rochester, Inc. ABVI–Goodwill provides the most diverse and comprehensive range of programs and services for people who are blind and visually impaired between Buffalo and New York City..
• The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) is the only international membership organization dedicated to rendering all possible support and assistance to the professionals who work in all phases of education and rehabilitation of blind and visually impaired children and adults.  Our membership is comprised of more than 4,200 professionals who provide services to people with visual impairments. 
• Baruch College, Computer Center for Visually Impaired People: City University of New York The mission of the CCVIP is to increase the freedom, independence, and productivity of people who are blind or visually impaired through the power of digital technology. We accomplish this through training, applied research, product testing and development, and community awareness initiatives.
• The Blind Center of Nevada offers programs and activities, both on and off-site, that encourage independence and improve the quality of life for individuals with visual limitations.
• Blind Childrens Center: is a non-profit organization available to blind and partially sighted children regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, religion, or ability to pay. Founded in 1938, the Center is a project of the Southern California Delta Gammas. The Blind Childrens Center operates without state or federal assistance.
• Blind Industries and Services of Maryland is leading the way to greater opportunity for Maryland citizens who are blind or visually impaired. Through the diverse skills and dedication of our exceptional team, our nationally recognized resource center serves over 2000 individuals each year with innovative rehabilitation and training programs that put people on the road to independence.
• Blinded Veterans Association: To promote the welfare of blinded veterans so that, notwithstanding their disabilities, they may take their rightful place in the community and work with their fellow citizens toward the creation of a peaceful world.
• Braille Organizations and Advocacy - Blindness Resource Center Link.
• The Carroll Center for the Blind: The Carroll Center for the Blind, located in Newton, Massachusetts, is a private, non–profit agency which serves persons of all ages who are blind or visually impaired. Throughout its 68–year history, the Center has pioneered innovative methods for blind persons to gain independence in their homes, in class settings, and in their work places.
  The Carroll Center for the Blind
  770 Centre Street
  Newton, MA 02458
  Telephone: (617) 969-6200 (800) 852-3131
  Fax: (617) 969-6204
  All general inquires can be directed to Dina Rosenbaum at dina.rosenbaum@carroll.org.
  
• Cleveland Sight Center (CSC) is a multi-faceted private agency founded in 1906 providing educational, rehabilitative, preventative and support services for 10,000 people in the greater Cleveland area who are blind or visually impaired. We offer specific programs and services, as well as an infinite number of resources, social clubs, recreational activities, and more. These programs are available to residents in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties, and to part of Medina County.
• The Clovernook Center, Cincinnati Ohio Mission: Provide individualized training and opportunities for people who are visually impaired, particularly those with additional disabilities, to enable the attainment of an optimal quality of life.
  Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired - Cincinnati
  7000 Hamilton Avenue
  Cincinnati , Ohio 45231
  513-522-3860
  Email: cincinnati@clovernook.org
  Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired - Memphis
  346 Saint Paul Avenue
  Memphis , Tennessee 38126
  901-523-9590
  Email: memphis@clovernook.org
  
• Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind Since 1900, Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind has been dedicated to helping the blind or visually impaired population of the greater Washington

  region overcome the challenges of vision loss.

• Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted (CSBPS) works with individuals, families, and the community to restore, maintain and enhance the independence and well-being of people with impaired vision. Founded in 1965, CSBPS has developed into the Northwest's leading vision rehabilitation agency and specializes in working with people with age-related vision loss.
  Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted
  9709 Third Avenue NE, #100
  Seattle, WA 98115-2027
  Phone (206) 525-5556 or (800) 458-4888
  E-mail csbps@csbps.com
• Connecticut Council of the Blind (CCB) is a representative organization composed primarily of legally blind individuals. It is an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.
• The Connecticut Institute for the Blind/Oak Hill provides children and adults with multiple disabilities the opportunity to live, learn and work in the community.
  The Connecticut Institute for the Blind/Oak Hill
  120 Holcomb Street Hartford, CT 06112
  Telephone (860)242-2274 Fax (860)242-3103
  Email: oak.hill.sch@snet.net
• Council of Citizens with Low Vision: An Affiliate of the American Council of the Blind
  CCLVI has the following local affiliates.
  • C. C. C. L. V. - California Council of Citizens With Low Vision
  • D. V. C. C. L. V. - Delaware Valley Council of Citizens With Low Vision
  • M. C. L. V. I. - Metropolitan Council of Low Vision Individuals, New York
    
• The Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB) is a consortium of specialized schools in Canada and the United States whose major goal is improving the quality of services to children who are blind and visually impaired.
• Equal Access to Software & info.: E A S I is the Premiere Provider of Online Training
  on Accessible Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities reaching more than 4,000 people in over 3 dozen countries since 1993
• Envision is a private, not-for-profit agency uniquely combining employment opportunities with rehabilitation services. Anyone who is legally to totally blind is eligible
  2301 South Water
  Wichita, KS 67213
  Phone: (316) 267-2244 - Fax: (316) 267-4312
  E-mail: envision@envisionus.com
  
• Florida Division of Blind Services - If you need assistance now and live in Florida, call 1-800-342-1828 for immediate help.
• The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind,
  207 N. San Marco Avenue St. Augustine, FL 32084 | P (904) 827-2200 | F (904) 827-2222
• Foresight Ski Guides Your guide to adventurous outdoor experiences for people who are blind or visually impaired.
  Foresight Ski Guides, Inc.
  Mark G. Davis, President

  
  P.O. Box 18944
  Denver, CO  80218-0944
  Phone: 303-860-0972
  Toll Free:1-866-860-0972 Fax:303-894-9383
  Email: mark@foresightskiguides.org
  

• Foundation Fighting Blindness a world renowned national eye research organization that funds retinal degenerative disease research at over 50 prominent institutions in the United States and foreign countries.
• The Governor Morehead School: The innovativeness of the Governor Morehead School extends back to its roots.  When the school was established in 1845, it was the eighth school for the blind in the United States.  Equally impressive is that North Carolina was the first state to serve the African-American blind and deaf population, beginning just four years after the Civil War.
  The Governor Morehead School
  303 Ashe Avenue
  Raleigh, NC 27606
  Phone: 919-733-6192
  Fax: (919) 715-2206
  Email contacts page
  
• Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., provides skilled dogs and training in their use free of charge. California and Oregon campuses.
• Guiding Eyes for the Blind one of the foremost guide dog training schools in the country (Yorktown Heights, NY)
• Hadley School for the Blind - tuition-free distance education
  The Hadley School offers over 90 tuition-free distance education courses to blind and visually impaired individuals 14+ years of age, parents of blind children, family members of blind adults, and professionals working in blindness. Courses are available in braille, large print, audiocassette, and online.
  
• Helen Keller Services for the Blind and National Center For over 110 years, Helen Keller Services for the Blind (HKSB) has been a pioneer in the field of blindness rehabilitation. Our mission is to help individuals of all ages who are blind or visually impaired, and who may have additional disabilities, to develop independence and to participate actively in their communities. Headquartered in Brooklyn, the agency has additional rehabilitation sites in Hempstead and Huntington, Long Island. We also operate the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults in Sands Point, New York.
  
• Helen Keller National Center Home Page
• Illinois School for the Visually Impaired ISVI in Jacksonville is a residential school for children ages 5-21 who are blind or partially sighted. Its K-12 curriculum emphasizes independence and vocational skills. State Link
• The Indiana School for the Blind Established in 1847, the School offers pre-school through high school programs, free of charge on a residential or day school basis, to the young people of Indiana who are blind and visually impaired.
• ISIGHT, Inc. Center for the Blind in Las Vegas, Nevada, a self-funded, non-profit organization dedicated to assisting blind and visually impaired persons of all ages in reaching their highest physical, social, intellectual, and economic potential, through personal development, social interaction, and meaningful employment.
• International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment: ICEVI. The 10th World Conference will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, August 3 - 8, 1997
• Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School provides direct educational services to children and youth with visual impairments in the state of Iowa
• Kentucky Department for the Blind: The Kentucky Department for the Blind is a state government rehabilitation agency providing services for the blind and visually impaired such as personal counseling, job placement, vocational training and evaluation, assistive technology, medical evaluation and assistance, rehabilitation engineering, volunteer book recording, vending employment opportunities, orientation
• Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB is a part of the Kentucky Department of Education, Office of Special Instructional Services) is located at:
  1867 Frankfort Avenue
  Louisville, KY 40206
  Phone number: 502-897-1583
  Fax numbers: 502-897-2994 and 502-897-2850
  Health Center Fax: 502-897-1282
  
• Leader Dogs for the Blind dedicated to enhancing the lives of blind and visually impaired individuals. Since 1939, we have been providing highly trained Leader Dogs. Today, our services include the Accelerated Mobility Program, technology training, and other personal education skills. Whether you live in Spain, Taiwan, or right next door to us in Rochester, Michigan, Leader Dog is a great option for those looking to enhance their independence!
• The Lighthouse International, a leading resource worldwide on vision impairment and vision rehabilitation.
• Lions Clubs
  - Serving the blind and visually impaired to learn independent living skills or job training skills that considered their individual visual impairments.
  • Lions World Services for the Blind (LWSB)
  • LWSB Publications : Lions World Services for the Blind issues two publications: New Life, a multi-page document and Update a one page document covering one area. 
  • Lions International Headquarters
  • Lions International: Clubs List
    
• Macular Degeneration Foundation is dedicated to educating people about macular degeneration: the various forms of the disease; the status of research into genetic and other causes; new developments in treatment and adaptive technology; and advice on how to cope with reduced or lost central vision. The Foundation's newsletter, The Magnifier, is printed with extra large type and is free.
• The Maryland School for the Blind is a private, nonprofit school serving children from infancy to age 21 who are blind, visually impaired, and multiplydisabled. MSB serves students in every county of Maryland. Our site offers information about individualized programs and specialized services including Braille instruction, orientation and mobility (travel skills) training, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, music, recreation, assistive technology, job training and much more.
• The Massachusetts Association for the Blind is based in Brookline, MA. They are a non-profit agency serving children and adults with visual and other disabilities.
• National Association for Parents of the Visually Impaired (NAPVI)
  
• The National Audio Theatre (Blue Ridge Radio Players) is a nonprofit organization producing fully cast audio plays in English. To date we have created dozens of audio plays which are distributed, free of charge, to over 80 blindness-related organizations nationwide.
• National Braille Press: Nonprofit braille printing and publishing house offering low-cost braille books and magazines. Free catalogues in print or braille.
  National Braille Press, 88 St. Stephen Street, Boston, MA 02115
  Phone: (617) 266-6160 Toll-free: (800) 548-7323 Fax: (617) 437-0456
  
• The National Center to Improve Practice (NCIP) promotes the effective use of technology to enhance educational outcomes for students with sensory, cognitive, physical and social/emotional disabilities.
• National Council on Disability (NCD)
• National Federation of the Blind: With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States.  The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence.  (Baltimore, MD)
• The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Website NLS administers a free library program of braille and recorded materials circulated to eligible borrowers through a network of cooperating libraries.
• National Resource Center for Blind Musicians provides information and referral services on matters regarding Braille music, technology, and strategies that enable visually impaired people to study music in school or college settings. It can direct inquirers to someone in its network of musicians and teachers in the field and can provide consultation and training. It runs the Summer Institute for Blind College-bound Musicians, which provides intensive training for students studying music at the college level.
  Music and Arts Center for Humanity
  510 Barnum Avenue
  Bridgeport, Connecticut, 06608
  Telephone: 203-366-3300
  Fax: 203-368-2847
  E-mail: info@blindmusicstudent.org
• NOAH : The National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation
  1530 Locust Street #29 Philadelphia, PA 19102-4415
  215-545-2322 800-473-2310
  Email: webmaster@albinism.org
  
• The New York Institute for Special Education: NYISE provides quality programs for children who are blind or visually disabled, emotionally and learning disabled and pre-schoolers who are developmentally delayed. The site includes historical information about the 170 year old school and a series of link on the history of braille. The Blindness Resource Center has hundreds of links related to computer technology for persons with visual impairments.

• The New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped
• New York State School for the Blind
  The New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (CBVH) provides vocational rehabilitation and other direct services to blind and visually impaired New York State residents, including children, adults, and elderly persons. One of CBVH's primary objectives is to assist consumers in achieving economic self-sufficiency and full integration into society. CBVH offers these services from seven district offices across the state.
  24 Richmond Ave. Batavia, New York 14020-1499
  Telephone (585) 343-5384
  Toll Free 1-877-NYS-SFTB
  Web Site http://web.nysed.gov/vesid/nyssb.htm
  E-mail nyssb@mail.nysed.gov
  Fax #'s Administrative Services: (585) 344-4055
  Health Services: (585) 345-4055
  Residential & Health Services: (585) 344-7026
• Office of Technology Strategy (GSA) mission is to provide central leadership and direction for the use of electronic government and technology in the federal government.
  (202) 501-0202
  Fax (202) 219-1533
• Oklahoma School for the Blind
  3300 Gibson St. Muskogee, Oklahoma 74403
  Phone - 918-781-8200
  Phone (Only In Oklahoma) - 877-229-7136
  Fax - 918-781-8300
  Webmaster
• Orbis International is a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to blindness prevention and treatment in developing countries.
  
• Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, PA.
  Overbrook School for the Blind offers a variety of programs for children of different ages and abilities. Since 1832, their mission has been to provide all our students, according to their individual needs, with the skills that will give them the greatest opportunity to experience active and fulfilling lives.
• Prevent Blindness America: to encourage proper eye care and vision safety with fun and easy interactive features.
• Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, a nonprofit volunteer organization, is the nation's educational library serving people who cannot effectively read standard print because of visual impairment, dyslexia, or other physical disability.
  Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
  National Headquarters
  20 Roszel Road
  Princeton, NJ 08540
  866-732-3585
  custserv@rfbd.org
  http://www.rfbd.org
• Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic On-line Catalog
• Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (RRTC) of Mississippi State.
• The Rose Resnick Lighthouse San Francisco, CA
• St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments is a Catholic School that provides spiritual and academic instruction, as well as training in all areas of the expanded core curriculum; thus preparing students for the challenges of life and pursuit of higher education. Upper Darby, PA
• South Dakota School for the Visually Handicapped The role and mission of the South Dakota School for the Blind and Visually Impaired to provide statewide services to meet the educational needs of sensory impaired children from birth through twenty-one in South Dakota by serving in a dual leadership and resource S. Dakota School f/t Blind & VI
  423 17th Avenue, SE
  Aberdeen, SD 57401-7699
  Phone: (605) 626-2580
  Fax: (605) 626-2607
  E-Mail: kaiserm@sdsbvi.northern.edu
• Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCI-VIS)
  A week long camp that takes place at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
  Coordinated by teachers of the visually impaired
  Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students (SCI-VIS)
  West Virginia School for the Blind
  c/o Dan Oates
  P.O. Box 1034
  Romney, WV 26757
  (304) 822-4883
  FAX: (304) 822-4898
  scivis@atlanticbb.net
   
• The Tennessee School for the Blind is a visionary resource for Tennesseans from birth through high school who are blind or visually impaired and for others who provide them with care and services. TSB offers information, education, counseling and technical assistance to families and schools in local communities as well as to the children enrolled as residential or day school students.
• Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitation The DARS Division for Blind Services (DBS) assists blind or visually impaired individuals and their families. Depending upon their goals and needs, DBS offers services to help regain independence or find a job.
• Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) serves as a special public school in the continuum of statewide placements for students who have a visual impairment. It is also a statewide resource to parents of these children and professionals who serve them. Students, ages 6 through 21, who are blind, deafblind, or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, are eligible for consideration for services at TSBVI.
• Trace Development and Research Center The mission of the Center is: "To advance the ability of people with disabilities to achieve their life objectives through the use of communication, computer and information technologies."
• The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind ,
  742 Harrison Blvd
  Ogden, UT 84404-5298
  Phone: 801-629-4700
  TDD: 801-629-4701
  Fax: 801-629-4896
  In-state Toll Free: 800-990-9328
  
• The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind provides comprehensive educational services to deaf, hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired children who require specialized instruction not available in local pub1ic schools
• Visually Impaired Pittsburgh Area Computer Enthusiasts! Motivated by the need to learn and a desire to share their specialized knowledge, a small group of visually impaired computer users in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania formed VIPACE! (Visually Impaired Pittsburgh Area Computer Enthusiasts) in 1988.
• Washington State School for the Blind Vancouver, Washington
  Washington State School for the Blind
  2214 E. 13th Street
  Vancouver, Washington
  98661-4120 
  Phone 360-696-6321
  FAX 360-737-2120
  Contact Information
• The Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children The Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children was founded more than 100 years ago as a facility to provide the best education possible for boys and girls who were blind. The School has never wavered from this mandate. Today, in addition to blindness, the students who enroll here have other severe disabilities, and the educational program is tailored to their needs. The School for Blind Children is a private school, chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the heart of Pittsburgh and serves students from the western half of Pennsylvania.
  The Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children
  201 North Bellefield Avenue
  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-1499
  412-621-0100 - FAX:412-681-1736
  E-mail:  pegnetterp@wpsbc.org
  
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  International

• The British Computer Association of the Blind: The BCAB promotes the special needs and interests of the visually impaired who either work in the computing field or have an active interest in computing
• Canadian Braille Authority: "Promoting braille as a primary medium for blind persons"
• Canadian Council of the Blind
• The Canadian National Institute for the Blind
• Fighting Blindness (Ireland)
• Fortec: Institute of Electronics at the Vienna University of Technology
• Guide Dog Association of New South Wales(Australia) The site has information on Vision Impairments, Cane or Canine?, Teacher Resources, Services Information, and a Gift Shop
• Helen Keller International is organized into four program groups -- nutrition, onchocerciasis control, eye health (trachoma, cataract, and primary eye care), and training and community organizations.
• Instituto Nacional Para Ciegos (National Institute for the Blind): Bogotá, Colombia
• International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA)
• International Glaucoma Association
• Johannesburg Society for the Blind: Working in partnership with disabled people to promote self-help education work skills and independent living skills for Blind and Partially Sighted People
• The Lighthouse International, a leading resource worldwide on vision impairment and vision rehabilitation.
• Montreal Association for the Blind: Offering timely, quality rehabilitation adjustment and social services to blind and visually impaired persons as well as support services to their families
• National Library for the Blind UK
• Orbis International is a nonprofit humanitarian organization dedicated to blindness prevention and treatment in developing countries.
• Panhellenic Association of the Blind- Athens, Greece
• Royal Blind Society (Australia) assists people who are blind and vision impaired to maximize their opportunities by providing specialist staff, information and technology resources that meet individual needs
• Royal National Institute for the Blind wants a world in which people with a visual impairment enjoy the same rights, freedoms, responsibilities and quality of life as people who are fully sighted(England)
• Scottish Sensory Centre: Edinburgh, Scotland - promotes and supports new developments and effective practices in the education of children and young people with sensory impairments ie visual, hearing or dual (deafblindness) sensory impairment.
• South Australian Royal Society for the Blind (Australia)
• Sri Ramanamaharishi Academy for the Blind: a troupe of blind children from the Sri Ramanamaharishi Academy for the Blind, Bangalore, India, will be touring the United Kingdom from September to November
• Surgical Eye Expeditions (S.E.E.) International is a non-profit, health organization founded in 1974 to recruit, coordinate and deploy volunteer ophthalmologists, nurses and technicians to perform free, sight-restoring surgery throughout the developing world.
• UK Piano Page is sponsored by the Association of Blind Piano tuners
  
• De Vereniging Bartiméus of the Netherlands an institute for visually disabled persons
• Western Australia Independent Living Centers
  
• World Database - Schools for the Blind (for a current list of USA school go here)

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Last Revised October 2006
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